Bast's Kittens
by nicosnowangelo
Summary: A rather ridiculous request from a few years ago. Tell me what you think.
1. Chapter 1

**So, someone actually requested a story in which Bast was pregnant. I thought she was crazy, but a bunch of my friends ended up begging me to go through with it. So here it is. I've pretty much made up stuff as I've gone along, and have ended up with ten meaningless chapters. I want to know if this story is good enough to continue. I'll post the next chapter if this one seems alright. Of course, I appreciate constructive criticism. Just don't be rude! Thanks!**

The Greek and Roman demigods had arrived as planned. They seemed okay; I was pretty sure they weren't a threat to Sadie and Carter. I mean, one of them had called me a "cat lady". That was kind of annoying, but apart from that, they were okay.

It was late in the evening. I had just finished four cans of Friskies, but I still felt hungry. I placed a hand on my belly. I had found out only a few days ago that I was pregnant. It was a shock at first, but I realized that the signs were there all along. I was having really bad mood swings lately, and I was feeling a lot more hungry. And yeah, we cats do sleep a lot, but even I was worried by how tired I felt all the time. I'm not saying I wasn't happy when I found out. It was definitely something to be happy about, but I wasn't sure what Sadie, Carter, and the others would say.

I dreaded telling them, because they would ask about the father. And the father wasn't exactly someone they were friendly with. I could hear their conversation in the Great Room from the kitchen; after all, cats have good hearing. They hated him. It was obvious. Hearing the things they were saying about him, and how determined they were to stop him a few years ago, it was clear they hated him.

I'll admit, I used to hate him too, back when I was assigned to fight him until we finished each other into nothingness. But after he was defeated, I had to go check back on him occasionally. When he was defeated, he really was just sent back to his prison. It's kind of impossible to destroy Chaos, but you can keep him chained up. Anyway, every so often, I had to make sure the prison was strong enough, and I noticed that he was changed. I started to feel bad for him. I understood what it was like, being tied up, not being free. And he truly seemed sorry. He was deceptive before, but this time, he really was sincere. He wasn't just playing tricks or using one of his schemes. I sometimes spent more time with him than I should have done, because we started to become friends. And then, well, we fell in love, and one thing led to another, and then, I was expecting kittens.

I would tell him soon enough; I'd go back in a few days. But now, I had to focus on telling my kittens.

I sighed and sat down in one of the chairs. I grabbed another can of Friskies. This was already getting hard; my appetite was nearly insatiable. The can was easily opened with my knives, and I inhaled it. It took about three more cans to finally feel somewhat satisfied. By then, the demigods were starting to get tired. Yawns sounded and their words become a bit slurred as they struggled to stay awake. It was time for them to sleep. I stood up and walked into the Great Room. They looked up warily, as if I'd slice them or something. I tried to be gentle with them. I'd need practice if I was going to be a mother in about nine months.

"Perhaps it's time you all get to bed", I said. "We have extra rooms up-stairs." They were too exhausted to protest. Carter led them up-stairs and returned to say good night. "Children, before you go to bed, I have something I have to tell you." Their eyes filled with cautious curiosity. I gulped and hesitated. Should I really tell them? I didn't want to worry them. They had enough in their paws as it was. But they would have found out anyway. It's sort of difficult to hide things like this. I broke the news and watched as their faces contorted with surprise, disbelief, and finally, joy. This made me happy. They hugged me so affectionately that I couldn't help but purring.

"That's incredible!" Sadie said. She was smiling ear-to-ear. Carter was smiling, but he seemed slightly troubled.

"That's great. It really is. But you're not married, are you?" I felt my cheeks burn.

"No", I murmured. He tilted his head slightly. It was a perfect feline gesture. It made me proud.

"Then... who's the father?" The moment I was dreading had come. I didn't know whether to tell the truth or just make an excuse.

"It's not important now", I said. I tried changing the subject. "Go on to bed now." He opened his mouth to say something but Sadie interrupted.

"Does it matter? Just be happy". Carter frowned.

"Alright. Good night, Bast."

"Good night, Bast", Sadie said. She hugged me one last time. "You're going to best the mother I know." I smiled.

"Good night, my kits." I watched as they went up-stairs. I took my cat form and settled beside the fireplace. I stretched out and yawned. The warmth of the fire quickly put me to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two... Tell me what you think. I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, and The Kane Chronicles. I apologize for any mistakes I have made with spelling and grammar, or with the the facts themselves. Please don't cry over my fail writing skills. Should I keep going?**

The next day, we were sitting at the table and eating breakfast. Sadie and Carter kept glancing at me knowingly. I refused to look at the them. The faces of the demigods told me that they thought we were crazy.

When we had finished, the one named Annabeth said:

"We need to figure out what to do. We've figured out that Kronos, Gaea, and Apophis are all going to rise together." That was definitely not good. The children looked frightened, and I wished I could have comforted them, but I was frightened myself.

"We need a prophecy", the girl named Hazel said. The others nodded in agreement.

"One problem", the baby-faced boy - Frank - said. "Octavian is missing. He's the one who gives us prophecies." The black-haired boy spoke next.

"I wouldn't trust Octavian. We have Rachel back at Camp Half-Blood. She's more reliable. And she's not a power-freak." His name was Percy, and to be honest, he scared me the most. His father was Poseidon, god of the sea. Percy, I'd heard, could control water. I hated water. He turned to Leo, the boy who called me a cat lady. "Do you think you could get us to Camp Half-Blood? It's not far from here. It's on the Long Island Sound." Leo looked doubtful.

"Okay", he said. "Festus might be a bit tired, but I think the ship can make it."

"Should we come too?" Carter asked. Jason and Percy nodded in unison. I looked outside. It was nearing the time when the Sun Boat would take off. I stood up and looked at the magicians and the demigods.

"I'd better get going to the Duat."

"Wait, you're not coming with us, Bast?" Sadie asked, looking disappointed. I shook my head.

"I can't, my dear. You know I have other duties. I can try to find this Camp Half-Blood after I'm done, but I cannot guarantee it." She sighed and nodded. With that and one last glance at the children, I walked towards the balcony and jumped. Obviously, I landed on my feet. Being a creature of the Duat, it was easy for me to get there without portals. I made it to the Sun Boat. Lord Ra was sitting in his throne surveying the horizon. I bowed in front of him and he smiled at me.

"My loyal cat", he said. Hearing the word 'loyal' made me guilty. I was not loyal. I had consorted with the enemy. "You know what you have to do today." Whenever he said this, it meant I had to check on Apophis after the journey was done. I nodded. We started after a few other gods had joined us.

Soon, we had reached the House of Rest. It was always nice to see Osiris and Ruby. As usual, they provided a good meal. I had just finished, and I think that Osiris noticed that I ate more than usual. He was looking at me strangely. I didn't meet his gaze.

"You seem hungry today, Bast", he remarked, giving a small grin. I simply smiled.

"I guess I didn't eat enough last night", I answered. He chuckled. Ruby and Ra were watching us with interest. For once, I was glad when it was time to leave.

The other gods left the Sun Boat when it came out of the Duat, but I had to return. Apophis' prison was located deep inside in the Twelfth House. I walked for a long time. Usually, I wouldn't get tired so easily, but today, I did. I finally reached the prison, which was surrounded by thousands and thousands of scarab beetles. It took all my self-control to not eat some of them. What? Cats like eating bugs.

Anyway, the inside of the prison was much nicer. It was a room with a bed, a table, and door which led to a bathroom. It was certainly better than what most prisoners got. Apophis was sitting on the bed. He was actually handsome in human form.

"Hello, Bast", he said, smiling. Being a snake, he automatically elongated the 's' sound in any word.

"Apophis", I purred, sitting beside him. "Keeping out of trouble?" He nodded.

"Of course." There was a silence. That's when I told him he was going to be a father. He looked pleased, and he gently squeezed my hand. "That's wonderful." He looked thoughtful. "Who else have you told?"

"Sadie and Carter", I said. His red eyes glowed.

"Them?" he hissed. "Those insolent children?" Anger suddenly rose in me. It came out of nowhere, but it came so quickly that it frightened me when I thought about it later.

"Don't you dare talk about them that way", I growled. Without realizing it, my knives had slipped out. He was surprised by my reaction. He spoke again, but softer this time.

"Bast, why do you still protect those children?" His eyes met mine, and it was so hard to stay angry.

"I love them." All the energy had suddenly drained out of me. He patted my head.

"Yes, but soon you'll have other children to love. And no one will be kind to them, because they're mine. Not even those two magicians. Just let me out of the prison, so I can protect you and the children. When I'm ruling the world, you both will be safe." There it was. The plea I had come to expect every time I visited. He always said that he would take care of me, make me a queen if I just let him out. But I was no fool. I wasn't completely blinded by love. The offer was always tempting, but both of us knew the damage he would cause if he was out. Today, it was more tempting than ever because he promised he would protect our children. I thought about the initiates back at Brooklyn House. I thought about the demigods. I thought about my master. I had already betrayed them enough; it would be the ultimate offense if I let Apophis out. I shook my head.

"I'm sorry. I can't." He sighed. The first few times I had refused, he had just gotten angry, and that was never pretty. But over the years, he'd come to realize that I would never give in. Still, he never stopped trying.

"Very well, Bast." He gently placed his hand on my belly. He was proud that he was going to be a father. I could sense it. There was no scheming or bitterness, just warmth and pride. It was unlike him, but I wasn't complaining. We were quiet for a few moments. Then I stood up. "Until next time?" he asked.

"Until next time." I left.

It was late when I set off for Camp Half-Blood. When I finally found it, it was dark. I discovered that the borders of the camp were magical. I didn't want to try and cross it. I was just tired. There was a large dragon curled around a tree just outside the borders. It was dozing off. It didn't notice me as I turned into a cat and leaped on to the tree, curling up on a branch.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, chapter three. Geez, this is worse than the last two. Tell me how to improve! And as usual, I do not own anything Rick Riordan has written, and I apologize for my fail writing skills and any errors whatsoever. **

The next morning was a perfect one. It was warm and sunny, but not too much. The campers were willing to let me into Camp Half-Blood when Percy explained who I was.

So there we were, sitting in the Big House's recreation room, waiting for Rachel, the oracle, to deliver a prophecy. Chiron, a centuar, had joined us. His tail whisked to and fro nervously. Rachel had her eyes closed, trying to concentrate. She had frizzy hair and freckles were splashed across her pale face. We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. Finally, she sighed and opened her eyes. She threw her arms up, clearly a sign that she had given up.

"I'm not feeling anything, guys", she said. "Are you sure that there's a quest? Maybe this was just some random monster. Stuff like that happens." Sadie shook her head.

"A random monster does come along every so often. But one at a place where there's both a magician and a demigod? That can't just be a coincidence."

"Maybe it is." Sadie was obviously not convinced. Piper looked up at Chiron.

"What do you think?" she asked. The last time I saw Chiron was thousands of years ago. Training heroes had certainly weighed on him. He looked much older and more frail. He scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"I must say, I agree with Rachel. This monster was probably just a coincidence. We really have no other evidence that anything is happening." Sadie and Annabeth still looked they wanted to protest. "Bast is the goddess here", Chiron said. "She's been checking on the Serpent in his prison for years. She'd be able to tell you if anything was going to happen." All eyes turned to me.

"Bast", Carter said, "you're still going back there?" I clawed the table uncomfortably. That was an unfortunate habit of mine.

"Yes, dear. Someone has to do it." He looked a little shaken by this information.

"And are there any signs anything might be going wrong?" he asked. I thought for a few moments. Apophis would definitely have told me if he was planning anything. He knew I would never reveal any information, just as I would never reveal confidential information on the children's side. It put me in a difficult place; I knew what both sides were planning, but I never could tell anyone anything. I'd eventually have to a pick one side and betray the other. I hated myself for even becoming friendly with Apophis. I finally shook my head.

"I would've known if something was up." Everyone looked a bit relieved, but they somehow managed to look unsettled and even disappointed at the same time. "Maybe we should just relax", I suggested. "We should stay vigilant, but we shouldn't worry too much." Chiron and Rachel nodded. The others reluctantly agreed.

"I think we should return to Brooklyn House then", Carter said. "And Jason, Hazel, and Frank can go back to Camp Jupiter. No point in staying here." That was sounding like a pretty good idea to me, but Chiron, being the hospitable centaur that he was, had to insist that we stay as guests for Capture the Flag that night. I was starting to feel nauseous, and was hoping Carter and Sadie would refuse. They agreed, and so did the three Romans. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach, and my nausea didn't get any better.

"Where's the nearest bathroom?" I asked weakly. Carter and Sadie looked alarmed, while the others were just confused. Chiron gave me directions, and I ran as fast as my legs could take me.

Morning sickness is a lovely thing. It really is. It's not like you spend half the time bringing up your last meal or anything. And the smell of it totally doesn't make you want to want bring up the meal before that too. And you know, it really is wonderful that it doesn't happen only in the morning, but also at the most inconvenient times throughout the day.

Feeling happy that I was going to be a mother only lasted for a few days. Now, I just felt tired, sick, irritated, hungry, nauseous, and moody all the time. It was really getting hard to enjoy my pregnancy when I wanted to eat oranges all the time and sleep at the same time too. I don't even like oranges. And the mood swings were definitely not helping. One moment, I wanted to claw out the eyes of anyone who looked at me. The next, I wanted someone to give me a big hug and a nice grooming.

And all this in one single day. While acting as if I was totally fine and I didn't want to curl up and cry. I honestly don't know how no one even suspected anything by the time it was dinner. I stuffed myself as if I were a pig that night.

Finally, it was time for the campfire. It was in a huge amphitheatre built in the ancient Greek style. The fire in the middle of it changed to reflect the campers' moods. Today, it was large and bright.

Chiron announced the winners of the Capture the Flag game: the Ares cabin. A loud roar went up from a section of the amphitheatre. This was obviously the said cabin. The other campers politely clapped, but they obviously were furious. Some campers shot the Ares kids dirty looks. I was so engrossed in this that I didn't notice Rachel was standing next to me until she said my name. She looked frantic. I could smell the fear scent on her.

"You're Bast, right?" I nodded and unsheathed my knives, ready to use them if necessary.

"What's the matter?" She opened her mouth to answer, but a sudden gasp escaped her throat, and then, she collapsed in my arms.


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay. My awful writing skills strike again! Hopefully, this chapter is a bit better than the last one. Tell me if I should continue! And please forgive all errors, whether they are in spelling or grammar or whether they are in the facts themselves. Of course, I do not own anything Rick Riordan has written (I wish). Okay, enough of this. You may read in peace now.**

Rachel lay in a bed in the infirmary, and we all sat beside it. Her mouth was wide open, and ghastly gray mist was streaming from it, while her eyes were glowing. All this was probably not a good thing.

After about two hours spent wondering what was going on, the children finally began to look tired. It was well past midnight. I finally decided that they couldn't stay up. They protested when I told them to get some rest, but I managed to convince them to go back to their cabins. Chiron and I stayed. We had always been good friends, and his presence soothed me.

"Something troubles you", he said after a short while. I looked up at him. Obviously, there were a lot of things that troubled me right now.

"What makes you say that?" He bowed his head slightly, a sign of respect.

"I have no intention to be nosy, goddess, but it just seems as if something is bothering you." I sighed unhappily.

"I suppose there is. But then again, we all have our own struggles and our own secrets to keep." He nodded as if he understood. If only he knew what I had done with Apophis to betray everyone. We were silent again.

It was nearly dawn when Rachel finally came out of her trance. I had practically fallen asleep in my chair. As I groggily opened my eyes, I saw Chiron yawn and stretch his arms slowly. Rachel sat up straight in the bed, her expression alarmed.

"I had a vision!" she spluttered before either of us could even say a word. "It was awful. There was, there was fire, and then, floods, and..." her voice trailed off. She was too disturbed to relive what she had seen. Chiron and I exchanged a glance. Whatever she saw had traumatized her. Anyone could see that.

"Calm down, dear", I said softly, reaching my hand out towards her. She clasped it with a surprisingly strong grip for a mortal. I stroked her hair with my other hand. Rachel took a deep breath. Her eyes still looked frightened, but she seemed slightly more calm. "You don't have to give us details. Just tell us what you can." She gulped and then spoke in a trembling voice.

"Sadie and Annabeth were right. Kronos, Gaea, and Apophis are all teaming up." My throat closed up. It couldn't be true. They weren't teaming up. I would've heard about it from Apophis. He told me everything. At least, I thought he did. Chiron cleared his throat. His expression was grave.

"Go on", he said simply.

"I-I-I saw terrible things. The devastation that would happen if they won, if they conquered the world. I don't want to describe it. I'm sorry. But it's worse than death, I can tell you that." We sat in shocked silence. Rachel continued. "And, I saw something strange. It stood out." She looked into my eyes. "That's what I wanted to speak to you about earlier in the amphitheatre. It was about you, Bast. I had a vision earlier about you, but it wasn't as bad as the one I just I had." Chiron looked baffled. I was no better.

"And what about me?" I managed to say. I didn't like where this was going. And of course, I had to start clawing at the bed posts.

"There was something about fulfilling a promise. You went to battle Apophis alone. The others weren't involved, because you two were battling in a place I've never even seen: there were a lot of bugs. Scarabs, I think they were. I didn't understand what was going on at first, but he gave you an amulet, and you gave him one too. I didn't know what that was about." Judging from the expression on Chiron's face, he didn't know what it meant either. I know perfectly well what that was. It didn't happen often, but it happened. It was a marriage ritual from the old times. It was strictly Egyptian, and was very rare. The exchange of amulets only happened when the two people who wanted to marry couldn't have an official ceremony. Like I said, it didn't happen a lot. But why would Apophis and I being do this in the midst of a battle?

"Go on", Chiron said.

"And then... Apophis kept you saying you betrayed him. And then, the scene changed. You were telling Ra that you kept your promise, that you fulfilled your duty. And then he said words in ancient Egyptian. I think he was blessing you or something." With that, she finished.

"Do you know what this means, Bast?" Chiron said. I had a bad feeling in my stomach, and it wasn't just because of the kittens in my belly. I was pretty sure I knew what Rachel was talking about. It had to do with my closeness with Apophis. I was too afraid to admit it, though. What would they all think? They'd call me a traitor. I mean, I was going to have the Serpent's children. That's pretty much as traitorous as it gets. I would be hated by those who once who trusted me. I know courage isn't my strong suit. I know I didn't have the courage to tell the truth. Guilt washed over me as I shook my head.

"I don't know", I said. I stood up so that I could hide my face from them. "What do we do now?"

"We have to let the campers from both camps and the magicians at Brooklyn House know immediately." Chiron's voice was grim. "Three forces joined together could overwhelm us all. We must prepare. This could happen at any time, so we have to start working together as soon as possible." He bowed to me, and then swiftly trotted away to wake everyone. I turned to Rachel.

"Get some sleep", I told her.

"But-" she started to protest. I interrupted her.

"You've been through a good deal tonight. You need time to rest from that."

"But what about you? You've been awake the whole night. You must be exhausted too." She was right. Exhausted was an understatement. But I had to help the demigods and magicians prepare. I needed to show them that I was loyal. I wanted them to trust me. I didn't know who I was going to fool, but it was worth trying.

"I'll be fine", I lied. She looked unconvinced, so I tried for a reassuring smile. It must have worked, because she slid down into the bed and covered herself with the blanket. I left the infirmary when I heard Rachel's gentle snores.


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, chapter five! I've said this countless times before, and I'll say it again: Please excuse any mistakes, either with spelling or grammar, or the facts themselves. And I know my writing isn't that good, so yeah. And no, I am not Rick Riordan, so no, I do not claim to own The Heroes of Olympus, The Kane Chronicles, or the Percy Jackson series.**

We spent a lot of time getting ready. About six months had passed. We had occassional monsters, and a few false alarms, but otherwise, no signs of big attacks had come. The Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians all started to get along pretty well. They became close-knit, and accepted each other easily. They knew they had to work together, and they embraced each other. I wish I could say the same for some of my fellow gods.

And there was talk of a missing Roman. Some boy named Octavian. Half-hearted search parties were sent out for him. But soon, it became clear that we'd probably never find him. It was shocking at first when Reyna, a praetor for the Roman camp, said they'd have to forget about Octavian and focus on the other issue at hand. But honestly, after a while, most people didn't seem to care. In fact, more people seemed glad that Octavian wasn't around. From what I'd heard, he'd never approve of the three different groups working together, and he'd find some way to interfere.

By this time, everyone knew about me being pregnant. My belly began to grow after about three months, and now that it had been nearly six months, it was pretty round. I couldn't even see my toes anymore if I looked down. My usual leotard wouldn't fit anymore, so I actually had to get maternity clothes. I was starting to worry that I'd never be thin again. It was getting a bit difficult to do some things, but I managed. I also found out that I was going to have two sons and a daughter.

I was still nervous to tell anyone about the father, and I was able to make up some excuse or the other whenever the question came up. No one pressed me because I was a goddess, and a moody pregnant goddess is probably someone you don't want to irritate. But despite the fear that it would be discovered who the father was, I was actually relieved that people knew I was expecting. I didn't have to hide as much as I had to do earlier. They understood when I had to suddenly excuse myself why I had to do it. And Osiris even stopped teasing me about eating heavier meals.

And then there was Tawaret. She put aside our past animosity, and helped me when I needed it. Being goddess of childbirth, she knew a lot, and she always had kind and reassuring words to say. We became fast friends. The only problem I had was that she forced me to stop eating fish. For some reason, she couldn't let me eat Tuna Friskies in peace.

All this kindness made me feel guilty. If they found out I had consorted with Apophis, no one would be as caring. Once the truth came out, I'd probably be outcast, and it would look as if I'd used everybody. I didn't want that to happen. For that reason, I tried not to accept too much help. I tried to be as independent as possible. And that's not too hard, being a cat.

On Christmas Eve, we had an unexpected guest.

We were having a big celebration in the Garden of Bacchus. A tall Christmas tree stood behind the statue of Bacchus, which had a Santa hat placed on it by someone. The garden was a beautiful place, with bees buzzing happily around the honeysuckle, and grass making a soft carpet for our tired feet. The air smelled like many different perfumes, and the effect was almost dizzying. There was also catnip growing in a few spots, much to my delight. The sky glittered with stars. Some of the Apollo children from both camps and some magicians were lazily plucking at their instruments, playing well-known Christmas carols.

It was one of those few times when we felt relaxed. Christmas was the next day, and we decided to enjoy these rare moments of tranquility when we could.

I was sitting near the catnip, of course, a little away from the others, so I could have some peace and quiet. The garden was located on top of a hill which overlooked Camp Jupiter. The view was breathtaking.

I could feel the babies kicking inside me and I sighed. At first, it had seemed as if the day I would have them was so far away, but now, there were only three months left, and it was frightening. I didn't know what it was going to be like, taking care of kittens of my own. I just hoped I'd do a good job. And I wasn't just worried about that. I was also worried about Rachel's vision. She'd had it six months ago, but I couldn't help wondering about it.

My musings were interrupted by Frank running towards me. I knew from the look on his face this was serious, and I stood up immediately. When he finally reached me, he was panting heavily.

"Meet-at Senate House-now-emergency", he breathed.

We rushed to the Senate House, leaving behind the Garden of Bacchus and the Christmas spirit. We were delayed by Terminus, who was as irritating as ever, but when we finally got there, the place was in disarray. Campers and magicians kept arguing. The centurions and Reyna tried to keep order, but it wasn't working too well. Frank went to join Hazel, who seemed to be having a heated debate with a brown-haired magician.

I walked over to Reyna. She turned to me. As usual, she was able to appear calm even though there was a lot of pressure being put on her.

"Bast!" She sounded relieved to see me. "Thank the gods. You can control them." She waved her hand around the room.

"Why are they all so worked up?" She bit her lip nervously and gestured towards a chair in the corner of the room. A scrawny man with blonde hair was slumped in it. My hair puffed up ever so slightly. I got the feeling I knew exactly who that was.

"Octavian showed up."


	6. Chapter 6

**C'est fini, mes chatons! You guys know the drill: I do not own anything Rick Riordan has written. I apologize for my bad writing and all mistakes whatsoever. Yada yada. Okay, you can read now!**

Octavian. My heart sank. I knew for sure that it was him, but that didn't mean I was happy about it. I hadn't heard the best things about him. He stirred in his chair and sat up a little straighter. His blue eyes were wild and filled with terror when he opened them. Reyna walked over to him and began whispering something in his ear, as if she was trying to comfort him.

I turned towards the rest of the Senate House. It didn't exactly help that it was in complete chaos. Ghosts were flitting in and out of the children, which was disorienting. The noise gave me a headache. And then there was the bird-girl muttering something about... wait, bird-girl? My stomach growled hungrily. I shook my head. This wasn't the time to think about food. Everyone needed to calm down.

I climbed up the steps towards the main podium at the front of the Senate House. It wasn't easy, what with my belly and everything, but I did it.

I like heights, so I liked standing at the podium. It was above the other seats. It was easy for me to survey the large room. Slowly, the magicians and demigods noticed me standing there. They gradually stopped arguing.

"Settle into your seats", I said loudly so that the whole room could hear me. They eventually all sat down. Reyna joined me on the main pedestal, supporting Octavian. She gently urged him to sit down and looked at me gratefully. Reyna took my position at the podium. I sat down, Octavian next to me. His eyes widened when they saw me.

"You're not Roman." He sounded shocked. I felt a prick of annoyance as I shook my head.

"I'm Egyptian." He looked angry at this. He swept his gaze across the room.

"So we've let Egyptians join us too? Those back-stabbers who do the silly magic tricks? It was bad enough with the Greeks." The crowd began muttering angrily. No wonder they hated him. First, he crashed our Christmas Eve party, and then he admonished us for being welcoming and working together. Wasn't he grateful that we were taking care of him?

"That's enough, Octavian", Reyna said sternly. She turned away from him and the faces of those in the other seats. "Octavian has been telling me about dangers to come." Her voice rang out clearly and steadily. Everyone was quiet at this. "It's best if you all hear this. It might help us prepare. Come on, tell us what's happened." She gestured for Octavian to stand at the podium. He got to his feet, almost stumbling. He would've fallen on his face if Reyna and I hadn't caught him in time. He brushed us away and staggered to the podium, leaning heavily on it. What was wrong with him? He seemed too weak. Apparently, the others were wondering this as well.

"I've been possessed", he began, "by an Egyptian god." He shot me an accusing glance, as if everything was my fault. I bared my teeth. He didn't sound frightened at all. He spoke as if being a host was just a minor nuisance.

"Which one?" Reyna prompted. At this, he looked afraid. His voice trembled.

"A snake", he muttered. He seemed to forget we were there. "It was a big red snake. Apophis or something." My heart skipped a beat. Apophis? It was ridiculous, but I felt betrayed. "There were terrible voices in my head." At this point, Octavian's voice was barely a whisper. "This snake was working with two others. There was a Titan, a Greek one. Oh, and those eyes." He shuddered. "He seemed like a regular teenage boy until I looked into those eyes. They were cold, cruel, and calculating. Nothing like a human." Octavian paused before continuing. "Kronos was his name." A curly, blonde-haired young lady sitting in front suddenly looked alert. Her name was Annabeth, I remembered. "Then there was the lady who looked like she was half-asleep. She was Gaea, the one you seven went to defeat a few years ago." Everyone knew who those seven were.

"Octavian, what were they planning?" This was Reyna. He gulped.

"They wanted to conquer the world. They said the only way to defeat you was to combine forces. And there were those visions. What I saw was worse than death. If they succeed, you'll all wish you were dead." That sounded eerily like what Rachel had said six months ago. Apparently, everyone remembered this, because they started murmuring again.

"Where were they planning to attack first?" Reyna asked, trying to keep everyone else quiet.

"They only have one attack. They all have their own minions: demons and monsters. They plan to split up and attack Mount Olympus and Heliopolis." Like Mount Olympus, Heliopolis was where most of the Egyptian gods lived.

"How were you able to escape?"

"Apophis thought I'd die when he left me. And I went along with it. I found my way back here after enough time had passed." I suddenly realized that this man Octavian was not only strong for being able to survive hosting Apophis, but he was also a valuable source of information. Though those three bad guys thought he was dead, he could really reveal everything about them and their plans. I didn't care if he was rude and annoying anymore; I just knew we had to keep him safe.

"Thank you, Octavian", Reyna said. He simply nodded and sat back down next to me. He did not speak for the rest of meeting. Reyna said now that we had Octavian, it would easier for us to plan our defense. But right now, we should just enjoy Christmas Eve. I was pretty sure that it would be difficult to enjoy today now that we knew what was going to happen, but I didn't say that. We were dismissed. Everyone stood up and began to leave, whispering excitedly amongst themselves. That was when Octavian spoke to me again.

"He talked about you too", Octavian said to me. He saw my puzzled expression. "They're waiting for you to have your children", he said. "Apophis is the father, isn't he? He said he would use your children." He stood up. He looked less weak now. "And I am sorry for being rude." I was taken aback. Octavian didn't seem as someone who would apologize for anything. But being host to Apophis must have changed him. I didn't complain. I simply nodded.

"It's okay", I told him. "Get some rest." He nodded back and left. Anger took hold of me. Apophis had claimed that he would protect our kittens. He promised me that he'd never harm us. I stood up. I didn't care about him anymore. I had thought he had changed, but it was now clear that he never would. He was the same cruel, conniving serpent he was before. From this moment on, I decided that I'd never give him another chance. It was my mistake to fall in love with him, thinking he was different now. From this moment on, I was his enemy again.


	7. Chapter 7

**It's done! It's sort of short... and not good... I apologize for all mistakes whatsoever, and I do not claim to own The Kane Chronicles, The Heroes of Olympus, and the Percy Jackson series.**

Despite the fact that the next day was Christmas, the mood in general was grim. Clearly, no one had forgotten Octavian's tale yesterday. Certainly, I hadn't.

The previous night, I could feel the kittens stirring in me the whole time. It made me think about what Octavian had told me; Apophis would use our children. I didn't know if that was true, but I knew I had been betrayed by him. True, I wasn't exactly innocent either; I had betrayed my master. It made me tremble to think what Lord Ra would say if he knew I had gotten involved with Apophis. Still, now it was made worse, because I had absolutely no one who would back me up. I knew the truth would be found out soon enough; it was inevitable. But I would stand alone. There would be no one for me to turn to for support. Apophis had said he would protect me, but he was obviously lying. I didn't have the faintest idea what was going to happen.

And it also occurred to me that this attack would not happen anytime soon. If Apophis really was going to use our - no, my - children, then he'd have to wait a few years for them to be old enough to do anything. Again, Octavian's information might not have been completely accurate, considering he'd been through a lot of trauma.

Needless to say, it was a sleepless night. The next morning, I felt miserable. And of course, morning sickness decided that moment would be the best time to visit. Everything people say about it going away after the first three months is a complete lie. It actually gets worse, if it doesn't stay the same.

I didn't have much of an appetite for breakfast, for the first time in months. Most of the demigods and magicians returned home after eating a hearty meal. The only ones who were still here were the Romans (of course, because they lived here), Percy, Annabeth, Sadie, and Carter. Pretty soon, it was time for my Sun Boat duties again. It was also one of those days on which I had to check on Apophis' prison. As I made my way there, it dawned on me that this was my first time since I had announced the news to Apophis.

He looked pleasantly surprised to see the way I'd changed, and for a moment, I almost believed that what I heard from Octavian was false. I thought, for a few moments, that maybe Apophis wasn't really planning anything at all. He almost looked like a normal father would: joyful and proud. But I knew better now. I'd spent so many of the past years believing he'd changed, but that's what had gotten me into this fix. I should've known never to fall prey to what he seemed like on the surface. He stood up and stepped closer to me, his arms stretched out as if he was going to hug me. I hissed at him, and he froze, taken aback.

"What's the matter?" he asked, sounding hurt. He was just trying to make me feel bad. I couldn't give in.

"You've been lying to me", I told him. "You said you'd protect the children. But you don't give two whiskers what happens to them, as long they get you what you want. You're just plotting with Kronos and Gaea to take over the world again. You possessed an innocent child, who's now scarred for life because of you. I thought you were different. I thought you wouldn't do things like that anymore." His face contorted into a sneer, revealing two long fangs.

"Poor Bast", he said jeeringly. "Have you finally realized that you can't change the nature of Chaos? Good; I was tired of keeping up this act. But I thought you would have known that already, seeing as you were imprisoned with me for eons. You're not as clever as you seem, are you? And that stupid boy? He wasn't innocent; he had much in common with me."

"It doesn't matter what your excuse is. You're my enemy. From now on, I won't be helping you at all. Don't expect me to keep your secrets any longer. And I am not letting you near my kittens. Try, and I'll rip you to shreds." His red eyes glowed, almost as if he was amused.

"No matter. You don't mean anything to me anyway. You're just a tool." Blood roared in my ears. A tool? That's what I was to him? "You're not important, Bast", he whispered. "Ra was trying to get rid of you the first time we were locked together, but quite obviously, it didn't work." I opened my mouth to try and say something, but he didn't give me the chance. He said, "I will gladly finish what Ra started." I barely had time to register the words before he took on his snake form and lunged in my direction.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi everyone! It's done. And you won't hear from Bast in the chapter. I know you guys want to know what happens, but I have to give up a little update on the others. As usual, I apologize for my bad writing and ANY mistakes that are in here. I also do not own The Kane Chronicles, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and The Heroes of Olympus. I am not Rick Riordan.**

Sadie woke up with a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't explain why, but for some reason, she felt as though something bad had happened. There really was no reason for her to feel that way. Sure, three of the worst enemies she and her friends had faced over the past years were teaming up, but they'd all been expecting that for months, and they were preparing for it. This was something more than that. Trying to shrug it off, she dressed herself and went into the Great Room for some breakfast.

Carter was at the dining table, eating toast. Khufu was at the other end of the table, eating Cheerios straight from the box. Felix was chattering excited with Cleo about how he had just gotten a book about penguins for Christmas yesterday. Cleo was offering to keep the book safely in the library, and Felix looked pleased. Julian and Alyssa seemed to be deeply engaged in a conversation about when Jesus' birthday really was. Walt (or Anubis? Sadie still couldn't decide) was keeping watch over some of the ankle-biters. That's when Sadie realized what had been bothering her. It was usually Bast's job to take care of the little kids. She wasn't here.

Sadie sat down beside her brother, who nodded to her in greeting. Sadie returned the gesture. She watched as Carter took the last bite of his toast and looked up at her.

"You alright?"

"Couldn't be better", she lied. She knew Carter would not be fooled. The two siblings had grown close and they could often guess when something was troubling the other.

"Sadie, tell me what's wrong." She sighed.

"Didn't Bast go to check on, you know, the Serpent yesterday?" Carter looked thoughtful.

"Yes", he said after a few moments. "I remember her telling me it would be late when she came home."

"But not this late. She's usually back before the next day." Carter finally understood what was going on.

"You're worried about her, aren't you?"

"Yes, of course I am! What if something's happened to her?"

"She'll be fine. Cats can take care of themselves." Carter could tell his sister was not convinced. This wasn't a surpise to him; Sadie really loved Bast, as did he. No wonder she'd be worried. He was worried too. Bast was pregnant after all. It was a surprise when she had told them, but after time had worn away the shock, he had found that he was actually excited. It was like he would be having three new siblings soon. Little siblings could be annoying - his own sister was a perfect example - but after living in Brooklyn House so long, he sort of liked having a big family. He couldn't help but smiling fondly. "Don't worry, Sadie", he said. "She'll come back. She's probably on her way right now." Sadie shrugged.

"Oh, alright", she conceded. "Have you gotten any news from either camp?" Carter's smile disappeared.

"I got an Iris message from Percy last night", he said, now grim. "Bad news: Mount Olympus is under siege." Sadie looked alarmed.

"And Heliopolis?" He shook his head.

"None of the gods have contacted us yet. And Zia hasn't heard from the First Nome." Sadie looked a little relieved.

"Do the Greeks and Romans need help?"

"We don't know yet. Percy made it sound like everything was under control, but I could hear Annabeth talking to Chiron in the background. She sounded really anxious." Sadie glanced worriedly at the rest of the room.

"Do any of the initiates know?"

"The older ones. They think we should send reinforcements to Camp Half-Blood, just in case."

"Well, then, why don't we?"

"We don't have enough people."

"Brooklyn House isn't the only place where magicians are from." Carter looked as uneasy as Sadie felt. They both had no idea what to do. True, they had spent months making sure everyone could fight and teaching important spells to the magicians, but the fight had finally begun. They didn't know if all their preparation would ever work in the real battle.

"I think they'll be fine", Carter finally said. "They have hundreds of campers."

"Well, do you know who's controlling the siege?"

"That's what Jason is trying to figure out. Apparently, he and some of the Ares kids are hiding out on Mount Olympus. Percy said no one had heard from them yet. But he's pretty sure that it's either Kronos or Gaea."

"What about Apophis?"

"Apophis is his prison, remember? He can plan, but he can't actually do anything." A knot of dread formed in Sadie's stomach for some reason she couldn't explain.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Carter. He was able to control Octavian."

"Speaking of Octavian: there's a huge argument going on about him now. Some say that Octavian should be kept in camp, but others want him... executed." Sadie breathed in sharply.

"Why?"

"It's mostly the Romans who want that", he explained. "But some Greeks too. They say that he could be a spy. Remember Annabeth telling us about Silena?" Sadie remembered. Silena was a daughter of Aphrodite who had been a spy for Kronos. "Octavian has been influenced by Apophis, and some want to get rid of him, because he might still be hosting Apophis. Who knows if he's giving our information away?" Sadie got the feeling that Carter actually supported the people who wanted this. Carter got the feeling that Sadie was very much against it. They both decided it was best to not voice their opinions. Carter continued speaking. "This has been dividing everyone."

"Sounds exactly Apophis to me", Sadie said, her tone mockingly casual.

"It does seem like him." The two were thoughful for a few quiet moments. "Why don't you eat? We've got a lot to do today", Carter said, breaking the silence. Sadie nodded, even though she had lost her appetite, and forced some food down her throat.

Back at Camp Half-Blood, Annabeth was pacing around the Rec. Room. Leo and Piper were there too.

Leo was trying to get Piper to laugh by making jokes, but today, even his charm didn't seem to be working. Piper had been worrying about Jason all day because he had been sent to Mount Olympus with some kids from the Ares cabin and no one had heard anything from them. Leo finally gave up and slumped down in a chair. He pulled out a few metal pieces from his tool belt and began assembling them into little toys, disassembling them, and then reassembling them.

"Any word from Jason?" Piper asked in a shaky voice. Annabeth shook her head.

"Not yet, I'm afraid." Piper sank lower in her chair.

"It'll be okay, Pipes", Leo said, trying to reassure her. "This is Jason we're talking about. You know, being a blonde superman and all." Piper didn't respond for a while. She didn't even tell Leo to stop calling her 'Pipes'. "Do we even have a plan?" she asked suddenly. "Do we know what we're doing?" Leo and Annabeth exchanged a glance. They didn't have to say a word for Piper to know they were both lost. If even Annabeth, head counsellor of the Athena cabin, wasn't sure what to do, their situation was bad.

Really bad.


	9. Chapter 9

**I have finally finished it. And it gets a bit graphic. Sorry. As usual, I apologize for all mistakes whatsoever, and I do not own The Kane Chronicles, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and The Heroes of Olympus. **

I opened my eyes to find myself standing in a field. It was a vast green meadow, with rolling hills covered in glittering grass dotted with flowers. A brook gently slithered across the grass, dividing the meadow in half. I slowly s edge, standing barefoot in the cool mud. A strange sensation climbed up my legs. It was like pain, but somehow different. Suddenly, something wrapped itself around my ankle. I gave a yowl and tumbled into the water.

My body jerked awake. It took me a few moments to realize I had been dreaming. I was lying on the ground, belly first, gasping for breath. Fear took hold of me. Were the kittens safe? I tried to lift myself off the ground, but my muscles screamed with pain. I managed to haul myself up on to the bed, tears blurring my vision. I have finally finished it. And it gets a bit graphic. Sorry. As usual, I apologize for all mistakes whatsoever, and I do not own The Kane Chronicles, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and The Heroes of Olympus. ~Bast

I opened my eyes to find myself standing in a field. It was a vast green meadow, with rolling hills covered in glittering grass dotted with flowers. A brook gently slithered across the grass, dividing the meadow in half. I slowly – and involuntarily - began to walk in the direction of the brook. It was as if something had seized control of me and was forcing me to do its bidding. Soon, I was at the water's edge, standing barefoot in the cool mud. A strange sensation climbed up my legs. It was like pain, but somehow different. Suddenly, something wrapped itself around my ankle. I gave a yowl and tumbled into the water.

My body jerked awake. It took me a few moments to realize I had been dreaming. I was lying on the ground, belly first, gasping for breath. Fear took hold of me. Were the kittens safe? I tried to lift myself off the ground, but my muscles screamed with pain. I managed to haul myself up on to the bed, tears blurring my vision. Blood trickled from a wound at the corner of my forehead.

I was terrified that the unborn babies had been hurt. I lay down and tried to remember what had happened. Bits and pieces came to me. Apophis had lunged at me. We had struggled for a long while. It had been just like the old days, when we were assigned to fight each other until neither of us existed any longer. I placed a hand on my belly. The kittens weren't moving. My blood ran cold. I couldn't be sure if they were hurt, or if they were just resting. Something told me it wasn't the latter.

As I gazed around the room, I saw that part of it had been blown away, as if there had been an explosion. With a chill, I realized the scene before me looked almost exactly like my dream. Instead of green grass, though, there were scarab beetles as far the eye could see. And instead of a clear bubbling brook, there was a large trail that looked as if it had been left by a giant snake. Realization hit me like a lightning bolt striking a tree. Apophis had escaped.

"He's gone", I whispered. My face ached just opening my mouth. I had failed in my duty. Again. Who would ever trust me now?

I gradually became aware of some dampness on my shirt. I glanced down at my shirt. It was covered in some foul-smelling clear liquid. The same liquid had drenched my pants and was pooled on the ground where I was before. It must have soaked my shirt as well. But what was it? Eventually I noticed that there was blood too.

Suddenly, my whole body was racked with pain as my belly became rock hard. I gave a loud gasp. After a few moments, it relaxed. I didn't think much of it, until the pattern continued after about ten minutes. It began to repeat more often and faster. That's when it hit me.

I was in labor.

I was panic-stricken. I was only six months pregnant. This was way too early to go into labor.

I don't know how long I was lying there, clutching my stomach in pain every time the contractions came. But in the end, I had pushed out three children: two boys and a girl.

It was then that I discovered the effects of what Apophis had done. All the children were extremely small. I had to use magic to protect them. Apart from that, my daughter seemed healthy enough, as did one of my sons. The other son, however, wasn't crying when he came out. I became more and more desperate as I tried everything to try to get a sound out of him.

But it was hopeless. Until then, I had taken it for granted that gods were born immortal. I soon found out that was not the case. My younger son never took his first breath.

I pulled all three of my precious kittens close to my chest and held them firmly. I was relieved that at least two were okay. It was a strange feeling; both pride and grief were mixed up inside of me, and it was difficult to distinguish which one was which.


	10. Chapter 10

**Can you believe this is my tenth chapter? Wow! Anyway, I apologize for: bad writing skills, grammatical or spelling errors whatsoever, and factual errors. I do not own The Kane Chronicles, The Heroes of Olympus, or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. **

**IMPORTANT: I might not be updating this for a while. This is as far as I got when I did that silly request a couple years ago. I definitely to re-visit this story and try to come up with the rest of the story (such good planning, right?). So yeah. I will see you kittens later! I'll still write other stuff, of course. Just probably not as often! :) **

A lump formed in my throat as I stared down at my children. I leaned down and gently pressed my lips against each of their heads. My daughter and older son made soft purring sounds, like kittens. I was startled by a soft crumpling sound, like paper being stepped on. I turned around. My heart started beating faster when I saw it was someone walking towards me. I was afraid for a moment, but as the figure grew closer, I realized it was someone I knew – Tawaret!

When she saw me, she walked faster and faster until she was running. I held my breath until she reached me. I mean, I knew how hard running with a huge belly was. I had experience.

We just sat there, hugging each other for a few moments. She didn't even care that I was covered in filth. Neither of us cared. I was so glad to see a friend. So glad I burst into tears. All my emotions had been bottled up inside of me. The guilt, the worry, the grief, the pride, the relief, everything. I couldn't keep it in. And Tawaret didn't care.

"Just let it all go", she breathed soothingly. And I did. After I was done, she said, "It's been a week since you were gone." I did a quick mental calculation. I'd left on the 25th of December. That meant that today was January 1st. It was the New Year. It was also the birthday of my darling kittens. Tawaret didn't wish me a Happy New Year. I mean, this wasn't exactly happy.

She cleaned me up. It felt good to be wearing fresh clothes. And she took care of my younger son.

"Osiris will be a good care-taker for him", she reassured me. It was all I could do to not cry again.

"Thank you", I choked out. She patted my hand.

"Come, it's time we get you home." She helped me up. I nearly stumbled and fell the first time I tried to stand. That would not have been good for the two children I was holding in my arms. Thankfully, Tawaret caught me.

She told me that the Sun Boat was waiting for me. As we made our way there – it was slow going – I told her everything. I told her who the father of my kittens was. I told her how he had escaped. I thought she would be angry at me. But she was not. Instead, she told me she didn't care. As long as I did the right thing now, it would not matter what I had already done. But was that true? Tawaret might not care, but she was so kind-hearted. Others might not be so forgiving.

I saw Ra, perched in his throne, as usual. His eyes bore into me as I boarded the boat and took my place beside him. Every step was difficult to make. Something told me that he already knew what I had told Tawaret. I could not bring myself to make eye contact with him. Instead, I glanced down at my children. It was finally beginning to sink in that I was a mother now. It was terrifying, but at the same time, I was so happy.

Ra placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, which took me by surprise. I finally looked up and met his slightly concerned gaze. His lips were curled in a proud smile. He was a grandfather. Warmth radiated from him. He was as he should be: the Sun, burning bright.


End file.
